These contain some examples of vulgar language.
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Listening to music can sometimes be hard work. Buying the right records is one thing, but being able to talk about them is another. Here is a glossary that should hopefully help you have a decent conversation about music.  Positive comments
Good vibe
Positive power
Rubbish
(* = familiar, ** = very familiar, *** = vulgar, v = Verlan (back-slang), Lit. = literally)
Ça tue ! (*) It's a killer!
C'est mortel ! (*) It's lethal! Lit. Deadly.
Cet album, il est trop mortel ! (*) This album is a right killer!
C'est une vraie bombe ! (*) It's a real bomb!
The ultimate compliment, it can be used to describe a wicked tune, riff, song, album, band... back to the top These phrases mainly apply to certain types of music, those with an appropriate beat i.e le rap, le fonk (funk), le hip-hop, la techno, le reggae, le raggamuffin, etc.
Ça déménage ! (*) It moves!
Ça groove ! (*) Same meaning as above.
Ça pulse ! (*) It's pumping!
Ça tourne ! (*) It's running! (like an engine) back to the top Ça envoie la purée ! (*) It's throwing/spitting purée, literally... It's particularly appropriate for funky music.
J'ai pris une claque ! (*) I was gobsmacked.
J'ai pris une bonne / une grosse claque ! (*) I was flabbergasted.
Une claque is a smack. These expressions are usually used to describe really powerful records or gigs. Of course, the strength of the smack is proportional to the energy released by the music. back to the top C'est de la daube (*) It's rubbish. La daube is a sort of stew made with meat and leftovers.
C'est de la soupe (*) It's too soft, too middle of the road.
La soupe is soup.
C'est nase (**) It's boring, terrible.
According to dictionaries, nase is the equivalent of knackered, exhausted (person), or kaputt (machine). In music, as well as in every kind of art, it means a waste of time.
C'est grave (**) Even stronger than nase.
Grave is the equivalent of serious, grave, solemn... Can be used with other expressions + grave:
C'est de la soupe grave (**)
Ça envoie la purée grave (**)
Ça pulse grave (**)
Placed after any of the above mentioned expressions, grave emphasizes and amplifies the meaning, positive or negative.
Grave de chez grave
In case grave on its own is not enough to describe your reaction to terrible or excellent music, grave de chez grave stresses your point even more.
It is constructed as if grave was a trademark (like Nº5 de chez Chanel, Nº5 from Chanel).
Again it can be used on its own, in which case it means boring, sad, awful:
Les boy bands, c'est grave de chez grave.
Also after another expression: J'ai pris une claque grave de chez grave. back to the top |
